tangled them up. Why did everything have to be so complicated?
“Wait,” David said behind her. “Sit!” he ordered.
Eva spun around. Who did this guy think he was? Then she realized he’d been speaking to the dog. The boxer sat in the yard while David climbed nimbly over the fence.
“Those seats can drive you crazy. I remember them well.”
Before Eva could say anything, David picked up the weeping Rafael, pulled him up to his shoulder, and held him with his left hand. With his right, he straightened out the tangle. “The buckle has to be fastened up here.” He stuck a part of the buckle into its rightful place. “Now it fits. If you put him in now, you can strap the belt with one hand.” He set Rafael into the seat and snapped the buckles over the baby’s tummy, then gently rocked the seat so that Rafael bobbed, which began to calm him down.
“Thank you,” Eva said. “How did you know how to do that?”
“My sister has two small children. And even though I’m rusty, I still remember how Jonas reacted anytime Stefanie left the room. It’s going to keep happening until the baby realizes his mother will come back.”
“You’ve got a kid?” He was married, so why shouldn’t he also have a child? Eva leaned toward Rafael and tickled him on the belly. He looked at her and fully suspended the clamor for two breaths before wailing again with renewed vigor.
“Jonas is fourteen and pretty independent.”
“Thanks so much for your help. I’ve got to get going . . .” The topic of conversation had made her uneasy. “Maybe I can calm him down with some food.”
“Works sometimes but not always.” David leapt back over the fence, then pointed to his boxer. “Do you have any idea what happened to him?”
Eva shook her head. This was something between her cat and his boxer. Eva walked over to the dog, patted his head, and looked at the fine scratches across his sensitive snout. “It looks as though he could have had a run-in with a kitty.”
David cocked his head and looked at Eva.
“He would have been better off to leave him alone,” Eva added. She turned away and grabbed the seat. Rafael was somewhat calmer, though he was still sniffling and his face was still red.
“He probably should have. Cats look cute but get quite crabby if you get too close. They kind of remind me of another species,” David said in an ironic tone.
“Exactly what species are you referring to?” Eva turned to David, hand on her hip.
“What species do you think I’m referring to?” David grinned broadly before he turned and walked away. He whistled to his boxer, who followed.
“Well at least cats have their own will and don’t heel every time someone whistles!” she said to her nephew, who smiled at her for the first time.
“I heard that!” David called.
Eva laughed and looked at him. “I certainly hope so!”
David shook his head but didn’t turn around. Eva smiled, picked up Rafael in his seat, and went into the house.
“Anyway, I just want everyone to know that I am not crabby,” she said to Rafael, who yawned at her. “I can’t help it if this guy shows up every time I’m having trouble with something.”
When Kati returned two hours later, Eva couldn’t have been more relieved. Her fragile peace with Rafael had been followed by indignation that his mother still was not present. Despite all the ways Eva tried to calm him down, he cried constantly. She rocked him, tried to feed him, and carried him around the house. She even tried ignoring him. Nothing changed his mood. As soon as Kati picked him up, he calmed down immediately.
“Was it bad?” Kati asked.
“The worst.”
“I heard him from the street. Don’t sweat it. He was like this at first with your mother, but he eventually settled down. After two or three times, he’ll know you better and calm down.” Kati rocked him and the little man gurgled with satisfaction. As if it wasn’t hard enough to be tyrannized by such a
“Wait,” David said behind her. “Sit!” he ordered.
Eva spun around. Who did this guy think he was? Then she realized he’d been speaking to the dog. The boxer sat in the yard while David climbed nimbly over the fence.
“Those seats can drive you crazy. I remember them well.”
Before Eva could say anything, David picked up the weeping Rafael, pulled him up to his shoulder, and held him with his left hand. With his right, he straightened out the tangle. “The buckle has to be fastened up here.” He stuck a part of the buckle into its rightful place. “Now it fits. If you put him in now, you can strap the belt with one hand.” He set Rafael into the seat and snapped the buckles over the baby’s tummy, then gently rocked the seat so that Rafael bobbed, which began to calm him down.
“Thank you,” Eva said. “How did you know how to do that?”
“My sister has two small children. And even though I’m rusty, I still remember how Jonas reacted anytime Stefanie left the room. It’s going to keep happening until the baby realizes his mother will come back.”
“You’ve got a kid?” He was married, so why shouldn’t he also have a child? Eva leaned toward Rafael and tickled him on the belly. He looked at her and fully suspended the clamor for two breaths before wailing again with renewed vigor.
“Jonas is fourteen and pretty independent.”
“Thanks so much for your help. I’ve got to get going . . .” The topic of conversation had made her uneasy. “Maybe I can calm him down with some food.”
“Works sometimes but not always.” David leapt back over the fence, then pointed to his boxer. “Do you have any idea what happened to him?”
Eva shook her head. This was something between her cat and his boxer. Eva walked over to the dog, patted his head, and looked at the fine scratches across his sensitive snout. “It looks as though he could have had a run-in with a kitty.”
David cocked his head and looked at Eva.
“He would have been better off to leave him alone,” Eva added. She turned away and grabbed the seat. Rafael was somewhat calmer, though he was still sniffling and his face was still red.
“He probably should have. Cats look cute but get quite crabby if you get too close. They kind of remind me of another species,” David said in an ironic tone.
“Exactly what species are you referring to?” Eva turned to David, hand on her hip.
“What species do you think I’m referring to?” David grinned broadly before he turned and walked away. He whistled to his boxer, who followed.
“Well at least cats have their own will and don’t heel every time someone whistles!” she said to her nephew, who smiled at her for the first time.
“I heard that!” David called.
Eva laughed and looked at him. “I certainly hope so!”
David shook his head but didn’t turn around. Eva smiled, picked up Rafael in his seat, and went into the house.
“Anyway, I just want everyone to know that I am not crabby,” she said to Rafael, who yawned at her. “I can’t help it if this guy shows up every time I’m having trouble with something.”
When Kati returned two hours later, Eva couldn’t have been more relieved. Her fragile peace with Rafael had been followed by indignation that his mother still was not present. Despite all the ways Eva tried to calm him down, he cried constantly. She rocked him, tried to feed him, and carried him around the house. She even tried ignoring him. Nothing changed his mood. As soon as Kati picked him up, he calmed down immediately.
“Was it bad?” Kati asked.
“The worst.”
“I heard him from the street. Don’t sweat it. He was like this at first with your mother, but he eventually settled down. After two or three times, he’ll know you better and calm down.” Kati rocked him and the little man gurgled with satisfaction. As if it wasn’t hard enough to be tyrannized by such a
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